OG.1 Still Pictures. The approximately 350,000 photographs in this collection
provide a pictorial history of the Nazi Party, its rise to power, and all aspects of
the war from the Nazi point of view. Included are several series of photographs
taken by Heinrich Hoffmann, official photographer to the party, that document
Nazi activities from 1919 to the fall of the Third Reich. Other series include one
created by the German Propaganda Ministry that consists of the publication
Greater Germany in World History; a series with illustrations, published during the
war by the Spanish-language magazine Revista Alemana; three series relating to
Gen. Erwin Rommel's campaigns; and another of Waffen-SS units in action in
Poland, France, the U.S.S.R., and the Balkans, 1943-44. Also in the records are
filmstrips highlighting news events relating to German history, used to indoctrinate
Hitler Youth members. The personal albums of Joachim von Ribbentrop contain
images relating to his career, family, and social life, 1934-42. Eva Braun's
albums contain photographs showing her personal and social life, and her life with
Adolf Hitler. Also included in the collection are photographs of Axis leaders and
German military operations and personnel, 1930-45. (All Series)

OG.2 Motion Pictures. German. Among the holdings are approximately 400
subjects, including titled documentaries and information films as well as unedited
or slightly edited record films of aviation experiments. Probably best known
among the captured German films is the full-length version of "Triumph of the
Will," which has been the object of repeated, and often intensive, study by
students from many disciplines. Directed by Leni Riefenstahl for the National
Socialist German Workers' Party, this film remains a monumental record of the
1934 Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg, spectacularly staged by the Nazis with the
future success of this film in mind. Brilliantly edited, it captures some of the
intangibles of Nazism: its idealism, its mystique, and the personal charisma of
Hitler. Although the event itself may have been staged, "Triumph of the Will" is a
revealing document about the nature of the Nazi regime. The "Jew Suss," the
most notorious of the anti-Semitic feature films sponsored by the Nazis, was
shown throughout Europe during the war and was, in some cases, required
viewing for occupation police and SS forces. The film was later introduced in
evidence at the war crimes trial of its director, Veit Harlan, who was acquitted.
The feature-length documentaries "Campaign in Poland" (in English) and "Baptism
of Fire" explain Polish aggression against Germany and show the German invasion
of Poland in 1939, emphasizing the devastating power of the Luftwaffe and
Hitler's personal decision-making role. Both films were used not only to report to
the German people but also to intimidate potential enemies. "Victory in the West"
similarly shows the march across the Low Countries, the invasion of France, the
British defeat at Dunkirk, and the capture of Paris, including Hitler's famous visit
to that city. The private black and white and
color 16mm footage of Eva Braun is at least 4 hours long. These silent films show
Eva Braun and relatives at recreation and at various family affairs. Considerable
footage shows Hitler relaxed and informal, with high dignitaries of state often
present. Much of the footage was shot at summer resorts. Also included are
many shorter documentaries and propaganda films on German culture and history
and on such subjects as the campaign in Russia, submarine warfare, General
Rommel and the Afrika Corps, an expedition to Greenland, and boundary
changes.

OG.3 The scientific record films mainly show aircraft experiments and tests of
such aircraft as the Berlin B-9; aircraft-launched, rocket-powered torpedoes;
Heinkels; Junkers; and V-1 and V-2 rockets, including rocket research at
Peenemunde.

OG.4 Additional records contain approximately 250 German newsreels,
generally dating from the 1940s. Among the series identified are "Actualite
Allemande," "Ausland Wochenshau" (in Portuguese), "Die Deutsche
Wochenshau," and "UFA." These newsreels are generally in several parts and
combine human interest and cultural subjects with reports on the fighting. Also
included are some special issues, one dealing with the evacuation of Dunkirk and
another with living conditions under Communist rule in Russia. Two films of
German origin are "Submarines Westward," a feature film about a German
submarine crew during World War II, and "The UTO," a technical training film
released by the Naval High Command, illustrating with animated diagrams and
actuality footage the use and fueling of the UTO submarine.

OG.5 Italian. The captured Italian films consist almost entirely of newsreels,
most of them from Giornale di Guerra. The approximately 200 issues, which
average five parts and 10 minutes' running time each, report on Italian war
campaigns, often using footage acquired from Germany or Japan and generally
including reports on cultural subjects and sports events as well as Fascist reforms.
A few longer documentary-type reports are also included: "First Blow Against the
British Empire" is about the Italian campaigns in France and Somaliland; "The
Battle of the Ionian Sea" describes fighting against the British in the Mediterranean
area.

OG.6 Japanese. Included in the collection of seized or captured enemy records
are approximately 100 Japanese films. The earliest, dated 1933, is among the
records of the Tokyo war crimes trials. A short film, "The Final Battle for
Nanking," includes footage of the Panay incident. Also included are many short
films on the war in China; footage on preparations for the attack on Pearl Harbor;
longer reports, such as the film "The Battle of Hawaii and Malay Sea," and films
on the campaigns in Bataan and Corregidor; newsreels made for exhibit in Japan;
as well as several issues of New Philippine News (in English), designed for the
people of the occupied Philippines. Two feature-length films also relate to the
Philippines: "Victory Song of the Orient" is about the Japanese invasion and
occupation of the Philippines; and "Dawn of Freedom" (in English,
Japanese, and Tagalog) is about the mistreatment of Filipinos by the United States
Government.

OG.7 Sound Recordings. Holdings include 1,550 recordings collected by the
war crimes investigators but not used in evidence at the trials, and many that were
captured by Allied forces during and after the war, including speeches by top Nazi
officials Adolf Hitler, Joseph Goebbels, Hermann G?ring, and Albert Speer,
1939-44. Also included is the personal collection of Benito Mussolini:
propaganda material recorded by the Fascists; speeches by Mussolini, Count
Galeazzo Ciano, and other Axis leaders; and speeches by dignitaries such as Pope
Pius XI.

Records of Allied Governments (in several record groups)

OG.8 Motion Pictures. During the war, the Allied Governments exchanged
films that were valuable sources of information about the war and promoted
understanding and appreciation of war sacrifices and efforts by peoples of the
Allied Nations. Although the British and Russian films described below are filed
among the records of various agencies, they have been grouped together here for
descriptive purposes.

OG.9 British. Distributed among the records of several U.S. Government
agencies are 22 British films relating to the war, most of them produced by the
Ministry of Information. The records of the Office of Civilian Defense (Record
Group 171) contain six British films relating to German air attacks on British cities
and factories, showing both widespread destruction and the operation of British
civilian units. Among the records of the Office of War Information (Record
Group 208) are seven documentaries relating to these attacks. Although "V-1:
The Robot Bomb" shows methods for reducing the efficacy of the rocket bomb,
these films are not so much concerned with specific methods as with the
persistence and moral courage of civilians responding to war in their own cities,
and at their homes, schools, and jobs. Probably the best known among these films
is "Listen to Britain," directed by Humphrey Jennings. Also in Record Group 208
is a series of British newsreels entitled War Pictorial News. The 48 issues in the
series, each about 10 minutes long, concentrate mainly on British campaigns,
particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, and report from time to time on
Allied activities, such as British lend-lease to Russia, the invasion of Sicily, and
the capture of Rome, with considerable footage of principal wartime leaders. The
records of the Signal Corps (Record Group 111) contain a few British training
films on camouflage and antipersonnel obstacles, and two well-known
documentaries given wide distribution during the war: "Desert Victory" and
"Target for Tonight." Made by the British Army and the Royal Air Force and
using captured enemy film, "Desert Victory" records the campaign in North
Africa against the forces of General Rommel, culminating in the battle of El
Alamein. "Target for Tonight" is a dramatization or reenactment of the planning
and execution of a bombing raid on Freihausen, Germany. In sharp contrast to
German documentaries from this period, "Target for Tonight" is known not only
for its wealth of detail of actual operations but also for its rendering of the feelings
of the men who participated in these raids.

OG.10 Russian. Films of Russian origin are among the records of the Office of
War Information (OWI) (Record Group 208) and the Office of the Chief Signal
Officer (Record Group 111). "Moscow Strikes Back," released in the United
States with English narration, lauds the Russian citizenry and highlights their
participation in the war, showing tactics of winter fighting against the Germans,
German contempt for Russian culture, and Germany's officially sanctioned
brutality. Lengthy documentaries, include "The Red Army"; "Russian Tanks,"
which shows a dramatized battle between German and Russian forces; and "13th
of June," which shows a typical day in Russia during World War II. Also
included are instructional films on anti-gas measures, military medicine, and
civilian defense, and short subjects on May Day festivals. Both the OWI and
Signal Corps records contain large series of Russian newsreels, showing all
aspects of the war along the Eastern front. Included as well are a few Russian war
dramas.

OG.11 In addition, 25 compilation documentaries and feature films, produced
between 1940 and 1951 by Lenfilm and Mosfilm, show Russian culture, history,
and music during World War II. Among the feature films are "Red Tanks,"
"Battle for Siberia," and "Spring Song." Documentaries include "Marshal Stalin's
Report"; "On Future Defense," a documentary on Russian army maneuvers; and
"Leningrad Music Hall." Also included are 42 English-language issues of "Soviet
Newsreel of the Day," 1946-47, featuring newsreels and short subjects reporting
Russian lifestyles and economic recovery in the immediate postwar period.
Produced by the Soviet Central Studio of Documentary Films, presented by the
Television News Service of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), and
narrated by NBC Moscow correspondent Robert Magidoff, these films reflect a
cooperative effort between broadcasting networks in Russia and the United States.

Donated Historical Materials

DM.1 Still Pictures. Approximately 2,000 photographs are to be found among
the several collections of donated materials. Shown are the German advance
through Poland, 1939, and the 1941 invasion of the U.S.S.R.; the construction and
launchings of American merchant ships, 1939-45; campaigns in Alsace and
southern Germany, 1945; the U.S.S. Westpoint with returning troops on board;
and U.S. and foreign government officials, military officers, diplomats, statesmen,
and delegates to the U.N. Conference on International Organization, 1945. Also
included are photographs of U.S. combat engineers; U.S., Russian, and German
troops; war-damaged towns and casualties; the activities of the Counterintelligence
Corps in Japan; and color photographs documenting activities on board the U.S.S.
Callaway. (M, MC, LA, SFF, PSC, GT, GR, HC, CIC, SH)

DM.2 Motion Pictures. Over the years, NARA has accepted from private
sources films that are pertinent to U.S. history. Film subjects among donated
materials range from scientific record films to a few feature films produced by
Hollywood studios, many of which relate to the war. The Paramount News series
(two issues per week) in NARA custody begins August 29, 1940, and runs through
the war period. Each release runs approximately 10 minutes and covers six or
seven subjects. The issue of December 9, 1941, for example, shows Roosevelt
delivering his war message to Congress and meetings of heads of state and war
mobilization. Also covered are domestic events, such as political campaigns and
conventions, famous personalities, sports, and human interest stories; war bond
promotions; housing problems; and rationing. Seven wartime Red Cross
newsreels show various Red Cross medical services during the war, some even in
battle areas. These newsreels served not only as reports but also as promotional
films for Red Cross efforts. The Jack Lieb Collection includes extensive color
footage of operations in Europe, with an emphasis on war correspondents.

DM.3 The March of Time films in the donated materials are not exactly
newsreels; they instead approximate screen journalism reports, focusing on a
subject to give a particular point of view. The March of Time monthly issues in
NARA custody begin in 1939 with "The Battle Fleets of England" and continue
with "Newsfronts of War-1940"; "Canada at War"; "U.S. Navy-1940," which
shows how the Navy was being strengthened; "Dutch East Indies," on the military
strength of the Indies, their resources, and Japanese interests; "Gateways to
Panama," which explains precautions being taken to guard the canal and shows
possible German objectives in nearby countries; "Britain's RAF-The Royal Air
Force"; "Arms and the Men-USA," on the growth of U.S. military forces; "Uncle
Sam the Nonbelligerent"; "Britain and U.S. Public Opinion"; "Crisis in the North
Atlantic"; "China Fights Back"; "Peace by Adolf Hitler," which records the
history of Nazi aggression and Hitler's broken promises; and many other films
relating to the war. Most of these subjects run approximately 20 minutes. The
March of Time feature-length film "The Ramparts We Watch," whose use of
German footage anticipated the Why We Fight series, combines actual newsreel
footage with staged or reenacted events to dramatize the effects of international
events on a small American town.

DM.4 Other war-related footage can be found in the March of Time stock film
library, 1935-51, and the Universal Newsreel library, 1929-67. For the war
period, both of these commercial newsreel companies provided documentation of
domestic and overseas efforts in support of the war, ranging from munition
production to the purchase of war bonds, and from meetings of diplomats to
international conferences of heads of state. Most of the edited newsreels, covering
a large portion of the war period, were destroyed by a fire in 1978, and many of
the Universal Newsreels are silent because Universal destroyed the
separate soundtracks from the film. The edited newsreels each contain five to
seven different stories and range from seven to ten minutes in length; film in the
stock film library also covers a variety of subject matter and varies in length.
Card catalogs, cameramen's dope sheets, subject index cards and subject files,
script files, and synopses to Universal Newsreel edited releases provide
descriptions of stories, subject access, and notations as to whether the film is silent
or has sound.

DM.5 The donated material also includes several feature films produced by
Hollywood studios. The controversial film "Mission to Moscow," produced by
Warner Bros., dramatizes the diplomatic mission of Amb. Joseph E. Davies to
Russia just prior to U.S. entry into the war. Many other feature films came under
the scrutiny of a subcommittee of the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee in its
investigation of alleged dissemination of war propaganda. The films, released
between 1939 and 1941, were anti-Nazi propaganda. Some of them were directed
by such capable directors as Carol Reed, Fritz Lang, and Alfred Hitchcock.
Warner Bros. has deposited prints of "Confessions of a Nazi Spy,"
"Underground," and "A Dispatch From Reuters"; Twentieth Century Fox has
contributed "Night Train," "The Man I Married," and "Manhunt"; Columbia
Pictures, "They Dare Not Love"; and Walter Wanger Productions, "Foreign
Correspondent." Also included is a postwar documentary entitled "Parallels: the
President and the Dictator," juxtaposing the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt
with the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler.

DM.6The 26 episodes of The World at War, a compilation
documentary television series produced by Thames Television and narrated by
Laurence Olivier, are among the donated materials. The series examines major
aspects of the Second World War through the use of archival film footage and
oral history interviews. Originally presented on British television, the series
was subsequently syndicated for television in the United States, September
1973 to June 1974. The series focuses on such topics as Adolf Hitler's rise
to power, German expansion and war policies under the Nazis, the invasion
and defense of Russia, the genocide of the Jews, the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor, and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

DM.7 Several films in the donated materials relate to German activity during
World War II. Regarding the origin of one, the "Ebensee Film," it is unclear
whether it was filmed (ca. June 1945) by the Signal Corps or through personal
effort by an Army physician, apparently for medical reasons, to show conditions at
a branch camp of the Mauthausen concentration camp complex. German
experimentation with rocket technology is shown in "Hitler's Secret Weapon: The
V-2 Rocket at Peenemunde, [1924-1945]." Made in 1971 and originally broadcast
on the Public Broadcasting System's NOVA series, it includes interviews with
scientists such as Dr. Werner Von Braun.

DM.8 Films made in the 1970's, using archival film and sound recordings,
reflect an interest in the life of Adolf Hitler and developments in Germany. An
example is "Storm of Fire: World War II and the Destruction of Dresden." Made
in 1978 by Dr. Richard C. Raack of the History Department at California State
University, Hayward, the film focuses on the historical events leading up to the
destruction of Dresden, Germany, on February 13 and 14, 1945. The film
"Swastika," written and directed by Phillipe Mora in 1973, uses color footage
from the Eva Braun film in the custody of the National Archives. Of feature
length (90 minutes), the film is a compilation documentary on Nazi Germany,
Adolf Hitler, and Fascism during the years 1933-39. The film, "Adolf Hitler,
1889-1945," made in 1976, was created and written by Charles W. Sydnor, Jr., an
associate professor of history with a specialization in modern European and
German history. Produced and narrated by Al Moffet, this film is a television
documentary that utilizes archival film, sound recordings, and original art from
Federal Government sources.

DM.9 A National Broadcasting Company television documentary, "Decision to
Drop the Bomb" (1965), chronicles the development of the atomic bomb. During
the production of the documentary, an expert on Japanese-American relations from
the School of International Studies at the University of Washington, Prof. Robert
C. Bartow, served as historical consultant to NBC News. He requested and
received the original camera footage interview outtakes and, with the permission
of NBC, donated the footage to the National Archives. "Decision to Drop the
Bomb" contains interviews with many who took part in the discussions of whether
or not to drop the bomb and probes, from the perspective of 20 years after the
event, the justification for dropping the bomb, reviewing and scrutinizing the
political, scientific, and moral considerations and impact. The documentary
reviews the period from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's death to the
detonation of the bomb over Hiroshima. The unedited "Film Interviews on the
Development of the Atomic Bomb" provides interviews with scientists and military
and political leaders involved in the development of the atomic bomb and the
decision to bomb the Japanese cities.

DM.10 Sound Recordings. Among the donated materials in the National
Archives are approximately 900 sound recordings relating to World War II. A
number of these are of speeches by Presidents Roosevelt and Truman; others are
of speeches by, interviews with, and panel discussions involving such prominent
persons as Cordell Hull, Sumner Welles, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Winston
Churchill, King George VI of Great Britain, Madame Chiang Kai-shek, a number
of Senators and Representatives, well-known entertainers, and combat airmen of
the war. Also included are recordings of radio broadcasts and special events
covering such subjects as the President's September 21, 1939, message asking
Congress to repeal the embargo provision of the Neutrality Act of 1935; the first
36 hours of the Allied invasion of Europe, June 6 and 7, 1944; V-J Day; the
signings of the German and Japanese surrender documents; highlights of the
Nuremberg trials; and accounts of the Nuremberg executions. Recordings from
1941 of British refugee children in the United States broadcasting Christmas
greetings to their parents in England, and Edward R. Murrow's "I Can Hear It
Now" series are included as well. An album entitled "History in Sound of World
War II," produced by Prof. Jose Sourillan of the Society for the Study of Public
Relations in France, contains rare material, including an address by George
Bernard Shaw on the subject of war broadcast over shortwave radio on February
11, 1937; an address on air power given by Charles A. Lindbergh on August 8,
1930; speeches by Josef Stalin on December 11, 1937, July 3, 1941, May 9,
1945, and September 2, 1945; Adolf Hitler's April 28, 1939, answer to President
Roosevelt's message of April 14 appealing to the Axis Powers to respect the
sovereignty of European countries; and two speeches in English by Leon Trotsky,
one broadcast from Mexico in January 1937 and the other sent to the New York
meeting of the founding of the Fourth International, October 28, 1938.

DM.11 The individual recordings cited above are supplemented by several
donated collections of World War II-related sound recordings. The David Goldin
Collection, 1932-52, contains radio programming produced, acquired, or
broadcast by the CBS, NBC, Mutual, and Armed Forces radio networks, and
includes broadcasts of political speeches, interviews, combat reports, actualities,
special events, documentaries, political conventions, congressional hearings,
entertainment to U.S. troops overseas, foreign radio stations, and public affairs.
World War II combat reports are in the John Hickman Collection "Historical
Recordings and Radio Broadcasts," 1931 to 1977. A recording in the George C.
Moreland Collection, "General William A. Bierderlinden Discussing the
Negotiated Surrender of Heidelberg in World War II," features a discussion of the
surrender of Hiedelberg with a naturalized German-American citizen who, when
he was a teenager, witnessed the capture of Heidelberg.

DM.12 The American Broadcasting Company Gift Collection of sound
recordings includes radio news and special events broadcast, produced, or
sponsored over the network's facilities and its affiliate stations from 1943 to 1967.
These recordings are of speeches, scheduled news programs, news commentaries,
special events, and public affairs programming during the World War II period
and include ABC coverage of V-J Day.

DM.13 Recordings of "America's Town Meeting of the Air," 1935 to 1952,
produced by Town Hall, Inc., and received from New York University, are in the
Gift Collection. The series' format features a forum discussion of guest speakers
supporting or attacking an issue, with provision for comments from the audience.
Topics include foreign policy and political, economic, and social issues in which
the Federal Government was directly involved. Among the topic titles related to
World War II are "How Shall We Deal with Germany After the War?" "Should
We Support Russia's Plans for Poland?" and "Who Should Control the Production
and Use of Atomic Energy?".

DM.14 The Radio Broadcasts of Station WJSV/WTOP (1937-1957) as received
through the University of Maryland include speeches and interviews with
presidents, congressmen, world leaders, and statesmen; descriptions of events and
political campaigns; and news, documentary, and public affairs. These programs
were broadcast and recorded by WJSV/WTOP, a Columbia Broadcasting
Company affiliate in Washington, DC. The broadcasts contain a variety of
entertainment and public affairs presentations: shows by Garry Moore and Arthur
Godfrey; speeches by Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, including
Churchill's address to a joint session of Congress on May 19, 1943, and
Roosevelt's speech to Congress on December 8, 1941, declaring a state of war
with Japan; New York City Mayor and the Civilian Defense Director Fiorello
LaGuardia's July 17, 1941, speech to the New York Press Club concerning the
aluminum drive; speeches by Cordell Hull; V-E and V-J Day bulletins; and news.

DM.15 "The Milo Ryan Phonarchive Collection" contains 4850 Columbia
Broadcasting Company radio broadcasts that CBS affiliate KIRO in Seattle, WA,
recorded for rebroadcast at a time suitable for West Coast listening. The
collection was established and developed in 1956 by Milo Ryan, a professor at the
University of Seattle, who persuaded KIRO to offer to the university's school of
communications an original donation of 2,500 broadcast transcription discs stored
in the basement of the station's transmitter building at Vashion Island in Puget
Sound. The bulk of this collection contains an almost daily run of radio newscasts
from September 1, 1939, when the German Luftwaffe began bombing Warsaw and
other Polish cities, to the German and Japanese surrenders on V-E and V-J Days.
In addition, transcribed speeches, special events, and selected public affairs
programs provide extensive coverage of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the
bombing of Japan, landings in North Africa, the Normandy Invasion, the April
1945 World Security Conference, the April 1945 meeting of the U.S. and Russian
armies, and the death and funeral of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The collection also
contains many other newscasts and features, including talks and interviews with
FDR, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Gens. Dwight D.
Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, George S. Patton, and others.

Note: Compiled by Barbara Burger, William Cunliffe,
Jonathan Heller, William T. Murphy, and Les Waffin. Published by the National
Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC. Revised 1992.

This web version, originally created in 1999 and periodically updated, may differ from the paper edition. Possible differences include: updated names of NARA organizational units, corrected errors of fact, and incorporation of new descriptive information. Whenever new descriptive information has been added, it has been coded to display between brackets [] and in italics. In addition, the main text has been artificially split into four parts, by record group, to improve efficiency of storage, retrieval, and use.